Navigating, transporting, managing, predicting and coordinating ocean vessel traffic is an age old problem faced by the maritime industry for centuries. The maritime Automatic Information System (AIS) provides some information to address these problems. The Automatic Identification System (AIS) is an automatic tracking system used on ships and by vessel traffic services (VTS) for identifying and locating vessels by electronically exchanging data with other nearby ships, AIS base stations, and satellites. When satellites are used to detect AIS signatures then the term Satellite-AIS (S-AIS) is often used. AIS information supplements marine radar, which continues to be the primary method of collision avoidance for water transport.
Information provided by AIS equipment, such as unique identification, position, course and speed, can be displayed on a screen or networked device. AIS is intended to assist a vessel's watchstanding officers and allow maritime authorities to track and monitor vessel movements. Conventionally, AIS integrates a standardized VHF transceiver with a positioning system such as a GPS receiver, with other electronic navigation sensors, such as a gyrocompass or rate of turn indicator. Vessels fitted with AIS transceivers can be tracked by AIS base stations located along coast lines or, when out of range of terrestrial networks, through a growing number of satellites that are fitted with special AIS receivers which are capable of de-conflicting a large number of signatures. The base stations and satellites are coupled to networks for providing the AIS information to remote users.
The International Maritime Organization's International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea requires AIS to be fitted aboard international voyaging ships with gross tonnage (GT) of 300 or more, and all passenger ships regardless of size. Accordingly, AIS is widely used in marine transportation systems.
While AIS information is becoming widely available, there is a need to extract meaningful data from this information for efficient operation of marine transportation systems. Moreover, there is a need to couple the AIS information with other transportation and port information to efficiently schedule and price transportation requirements. For example, and without limitation, this need is apparent in the transport of perishable products. To arrange for transport of ripe (or nearly ripe) fruit to several ports requires more information than the typical operating speed of the transport vessel, but also knowledge of how much time will be required in each port of entry, because the fruit will spoil before it reaches the last port.
Additionally, loading and unloading times may be fairly well estimated, however, there may be wide variations in port operation times depending on terminal equipment, seasonality, port, berth and terminal utilization rates, as well as port operation characteristics and other conditions in the port area that affect the operation of those ports.
In view of the foregoing, reliable quantification, estimation and scheduling are needed to maximize overall transport efficiency.